If you’re joining the tour, please download your own maps as we will only have a few spare maps on hand. There are options each day for a leisure ride and a longer ride. Hills are minimal in this area.
Each map has a detailed cue sheet describing the route details, accumulated distance and highlighting the points of interest along the way. With the wide area covered by each ride, it is not possible to display all the road and street detail on the actual map. The cue sheets have all the details required to keep you on course so it is important that you can read them along the way. With this in mind, included is a small print cue sheet that you can copy on to the back of the map plus a larger print multi page one that will no doubt be easier to read. Your choice, print one or the other or both.
All rides will start at 10:00 AM from the Seaway Mall (800 Niagara Street) in Welland. Park close to the Burger King at the corner of Niagara Street and Woodlawn Road. The Mall is just a block or so from Niagara College and convenient to get to from other areas.
Day 1
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| Day | Route | Distance | Comments |
| Saturday, August 12 | Leisure Ride | 57 km | A leisurely flat ride from Welland to St. Catharines and back to Welland via the Welland Canal bike trail.
The only real climb is the assent up the escarpment at Thorold and if too steep for some, can be a lovely walk up with rest stops (including the odd bench) along the way, overlooking the locks and hopefully giving you a view of a ship or two on its way up or down. 75 % of the ride will be on paved trails with the remaining on fairly quiet paved roads. |
| Longer Ride | 78 km | This is a beautiful ride through the winding back roads of Fonthill, down the escarpment and past vineyards and orchards to Port Dalhousie.
Return to Welland via the Waterfront Trail and the Welland Canal Trail. |
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Day 2
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| Sunday, August 13 | Leisure Ride | 44 km | Enjoy another leisurely flat (make that very flat) ride along the Welland Canal Trail.
Route heads south from Welland to the shores of Lake Erie in Port Colborne and back to Welland via, again, the Welland Canal Bike Trail. Early lunch with the Longer Distance Riders who are taking a longer and different route to Port Colborne and ride back to Welland together along the bike trail. |
| Longer Ride | 67 km | Enjoy a relatively flat ride through some beautiful Niagara Peninsula farm land, along Lake Erie cottage shore lines to Port Colborne.
Plan to meet for an early lunch the Leisure Riders who are taking a longer and different route to Port Colborne and back to Welland together along the bike trail. |
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Ganaraska Freewheelers Cycling Club 